June 18, 2025
The following is a statement from the Immigrant Defense Project:
“The Trump Administration is waging a terror campaign against New Yorkers across the state, using Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies to target, abduct, and detain loved ones and community members, yet our elected leaders have chosen not to act, failing to pass urgently needed legislation.
“Every day of this session New Yorkers called unequivocally for passage of the New York for All Act (NY4All), critical legislation to prevent state and local resources from being used to perpetuate Trump’s mass deportation agenda, to protect due process, and to ensure that all New Yorkers—regardless of immigration status—can engage with local agencies without fear of detention or deportation.
“On Tuesday, Governor Hochul spoke about the terror that immigrant New Yorkers are feeling. She said she would stand up and fight for the values and the rights and the people of our state. Yet, this rings hollow, when New Yorkers already presented the Governor– and Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins– with the meaningful legislative solutions we need.
“Instead, they made an active decision to abandon immigrant families and ignore the public outcry. Let’s be clear: their inaction is complicity. We call on our leadership to remedy their betrayal by calling for a special session to pass the NY4All Act—a call that many legislators are already voicing.
“This inaction comes despite Trump targeting our state. ICE is entrapping and disappearing people at immigration court hearings, and the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to interfere in the rights of New Yorkers by suing our state over the Protect Our Courts Act (“POCA”) . IDP was proud to lead a diverse coalition to pass POCA during the first Trump presidency, which sought to get ICE out of our courts and ensure that New Yorkers could access courts in our state without fear of ICE arrest.
“We also called for passage of the Clemency Justice Act, which would create a robust, transparent, and fair clemency process to provide immediate relief to those who have experienced the injustices of our immigration and criminal legal systems. Clemency is often the only relief standing between New Yorkers and family separation and we implore the Governor to expand use of her clemency power now.
“We are inspired by New Yorkers in every corner of our state who are standing up and fighting back to protect their neighbors.
“New York state leaders must take note of the anger and demand for action filling the streets. This moment calls for courage not cowardice, action not platitudes. New York families deserve better.”
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